California Wildfires Reaching Record-Levels As Thousands Evacuate Homes

With multiple wildfires burning through Northern California, crews remained on alert as lingering thunderstorms passed through the area to head off any potential fires from lightning strikes.

As of Monday afternoon, the largest fire crews were battling was the LNU Lightning Complex fire, which has encompassed over 350,000 acres. The California Department of Forestry And Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, said it was officially the second-biggest wildfire in the state’s history. Parts of Napa, Sonoma, Lake, Solano and Yolo counties have been burned, with hundreds of structures destroyed and at least seven deaths reported.

Fire crews have managed to contain around 22% of the fire as of 8:30 a.m. Monday. Evacuations remain in place for most of Napa, Lake, and Sonoma counties as over 30,000 structures are still threatened by the blaze.

The SCU Lightning Complex fire was not far behind the LNU fire, with over 347,000 acres burned as of 9 a.m. Monday. Crews were able to slow the fire’s spread thanks to most of it being located along a stretch of the Pacific Coast Mountain Ranges. However, 24 structures have still been damaged or destroyed and at least five people were injured due to the fire.

Evacuation orders were in place for Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin, and Stanislaus counties.

The CZU Lightning Complex continued to burn through parts of San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties as crews have only contained around 8% of it as of 8:30 a.m. Monday. While no injuries or deaths have been reported, 175 structures have been damaged or destroyed as the blaze has pushed down into neighborhoods surrounding the Santa Cruz Mountains where the fire started.

Evacuation orders remain in effect for most of San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties.

Most red flag warnings had been lifted by the National Weather Service after fear Sunday lighting strikes from dry thunderstorms could spark additional fires and spread crews thinner than they already are.

The National Weather Service cautioned some storms lingered and the dry conditions around northern California were still ideal for another brush fire to grow rapidly after a lightning strike.